1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of public telephone mountings, and particularly to new and improved methods and apparatus for mounting an advertising display unit for use with a public telephone.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vandalism to public or coin telephones has long been a serious problem to the industry. The substantial increase in the incidents of such vandalism in recent years has resulted in a corresponding increase in efforts to design more secure coin telephones and telephone mounting systems. One important development in coin telephone security mounting involves recessing the telephone housing in an opening of a steel post with the rear edges of the front housing projecting forward of the post.
Other developments include the front wall of the rectangular tubular steel post embracing the top and sides of the front housing of the public telephone forward of the rear edges of the conventional raised lip of the front housing. Since these edges are recessed in the post, they are protected from prying tools. Such a telephone mounting is illustrated, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,927.
Additionally, it has been common practice to provide an enclosure which affords weather protection, conversational privacy and additional security to the public telephone. Again by way of example, the above U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,927 discloses an enclosure which may be interchanged with a shelf without having to remove or disassemble the public telephone. The enclosure is supported on the upper end of the telephone mounting and is secured to the post by a multiplicity of fasteners. This conventional enclosure comprises a unitary aluminum ring-like enclosure that encircles the telephone a short distance from the top, bottom and sides of the telephone and extends forward of the front wall of the post.
Another example of a public telephone mounting includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,511,941. This public telephone mounting assembly includes a mounting plate fixed to a wall, the telephone secured to the mounting plate, and an enclosure secured on the wall independently of the telephone and mounting plate. The enclosure includes a back wall having an elongated aperture which receives the mounting plate. The top edge of the aperture engages a flange formed on the upper backside of the mounting plate. The enclosure includes only a backboard with side wings spaced a short distance from the sides of the public telephone.
The above patents illustrate the conventional practice of securing the enclosure independent of the telephone. This practice makes the enclosure an "easy mark" and therefore subject to frequent vandalism. The industry has heretofore not solved the problem in providing a mounting for a public telephone having an enclosure that is vandal resistant.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 263,101 discloses an ornamental design for a combined telephone booth and advertising display unit. This overhead advertising display unit is not in the line of sight of the telephone user when using the telephone receiver.